Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldinho has officially called it a day, retiring from football having not played a game since 2015.
The former Barcelona playmaker, now 37, most recently played for Fluminense, having previously represented Flamengo, Atletico Mineiro, and Querétaro since leaving Europe for his native Brazil.
A Ballon d’Or winner in 2005, he helped Brazil claim the 2002 World Cup and is perhaps best known for his time with Barcelona between 2003 and 2008, when he scored 94 goals in 207 appearances across all competitions.
“He has stopped, it is ended,” revealed his brother and agent Roberto Assis. “We will do various events in Brazil, Europe and Asia and, of course, we are arranging something with the Brazilian team as well.”
Having started his career with Gremio in his hometown of Porto Alegre, Ronaldinho joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2001, where he impressed enough in two seasons in France to earn a transfer to Camp Nou.
A switch to AC Milan followed in 2008 after five successful seasons in Catalonia, during which he began his decline from the world’s best player before returning to Brazil in 2011.
Ronaldinho will be remembered as one of the most talented footballers of his generation, and no player since has brought the same kind of flair to the pitch as he did.
